1. As the title suggests, the main character of the work is Snow Maiden- daughter of Frost and Spring. A beautiful girl with unearthly beauty, an icy heart and a boundless desire to love. To understand what it means to love, the Snow Maiden is ready to make any sacrifice.
2. Snow Maiden's parents: Freezing And Vesna-Krasna. Frost is harsh, the formidable lord of cold winds and winter cold. He is ready to give everything just to protect his daughter from mistakes. From her mother Vesna, the Snow Maiden received the ability to love.
3. Lel- a carefree shepherd who craves the attention of girls. It is he who will be able to awaken love in the Snow Maiden.
4. Mizgir- a passing merchant who fell in love with the Snow Maiden with all his soul for her beauty and naivety, leaving his bride just to be with his beloved.

Prologue

The plot centers on the kingdom of the Berendeys. Spring should have come a long time ago, but the mountains of the kingdom are covered with snow. Leshy stands on the Red Hill and watches the Red Spring descend from the heavens. But Berendeyev Posad is not ready to meet the spring sun and birdsong.

Frost filled the entire kingdom of the Berendeys. And all because Spring played a cruel joke on Frost, and now she is in his captivity. Vesna admits to Leshy that she and Moroz have a daughter, Snegurochka.

Dispute between Spring and Frost

Frost descends on Krasnaya Gorka to decide who will take care of the Snow Maiden. Frost wants to hide his daughter in the thicket of the forest to protect her from human problems. Spring, on the contrary, wants her daughter to live among people. Frost convinces Vesna to give him the child, warning her about the evil intentions of the sun god Yarilo.

Yarilo wants to destroy the Snow Maiden - as soon as the fire of love lights up in her heart, she will melt. Vesna-Krasna does not believe Frost’s words. To resolve the dispute, Moroz asks his daughter: “Where would she like to live?” The girl admits that she always dreamed of living among people, dancing, singing songs and being happy spring sun. For a long time now, the Snow Maiden has been dreaming of a beautiful young shepherd, whose name is Lel.

Snow Maiden in the kingdom of the Berendeys

The girl is given to be raised by the childless Bobyl. Spring comes to the kingdom of the Berendeys, the people greet it with loud dances, round dances and songs. The Snow Maiden lives peacefully with the Bobyls. Because of her naivety, modesty and bashfulness, she has no friends at all, and suitors do not line up behind her.

One day, a young shepherd, Lel, comes to see Bobylem. Other villagers are wary of keeping the poor shepherd at home, fearing that their daughters will fall in love with the young guy. Fellow villagers present Lel with money, and the Bobyli, having coveted the money, invite the young man to spend the night.

The Snow Maiden's inexperience

The beauty of the Snow Maiden captivates the shepherd. However, innate modesty and bashfulness does not allow the girl to show her feelings. With all her kindness, she gives the young man a flower for the song he performed.

But Lel is not disinterested and asks the girl for more significant gifts - kisses. Tired of waiting for reciprocal actions from the Snow Maiden, the shepherd goes to the city to seduce other girls with his dances and songs.

Snow Maiden meets the rich blacksmith Mizgir

The Snow Maiden has no friends among her fellow villagers; only Kupava shares all the hardships and sorrows with her daughter Vesna. Kupava is preparing for her wedding to the young, rich blacksmith Mizgir. She openly tells the Snow Maiden about her love for the young man, about her boundless happiness.

Kupava decides to introduce Snegurochka to her fiancé at a bachelorette party. A merchant recently arrived in the village with gifts for the bride’s relatives. At the first glance at the Snow Maiden, Mizgir’s heart skips a beat, he forgets about the wedding, about his bride and his love for Kupava.

He publicly confesses his love to the Snow Maiden and breaks off the engagement. An abandoned bride commits suicide on the river bank, but Lel manages to save her. All the young girls hate the Snow Maiden, and Kupava sends the Berendeys to the king with curses against their ex-groom.

Snow Maiden meets the Tsar

The angry Tsar Berendey drives the merchant out of the country. Mizgir accepts the king's punishment with dignity, but asks the king to see his beloved. The king himself is eager to meet the mysterious beauty. At the invitation of the Tsar, Bobyli and the Snow Maiden arrive at the Tsar's palace.

Berendey is struck by the mysterious, icy beauty of the Snow Maiden, her naivety and chastity. He decides to marry the girl to a rich nobleman in order to please the sun god Yarilo.

However, the girl does not want to get married; human feelings are now disgusting to her. Berendey consults with his wife Elena the Beautiful about the Snow Maiden's marriage. The queen understands that only her first lover, the shepherd Lel, can melt the heart of a beautiful girl.

Spring's last gift

Lel falls in love with Kupava, but invites Snegurochka to the spring festival. Lel is not going to confess his love to Vesna’s daughter, he wants to show her how painful it is when you are rejected. The Snow Maiden hopes for reciprocity from Lel, but in response she receives only reproaches. The Snow Maiden will never understand human, carnal feelings.

Mizgir tries to interest the Snow Maiden with expensive gifts and his love. But the girl does not need the rich gifts of the merchant, she wants to learn to love Lel. The angry Mizgir grabs the girl and drags her into the forest, trying to take possession of the girl by force. Fortunately, the magical forest inhabitants protect the Snow Maiden at the behest of her father.

The Snow Maiden asks her mother Vesna to teach her human love. Spring-Red warns her daughter, reminding her of the cruelty of human feelings. But she cannot refuse her beloved daughter. Spring gives her daughter a wreath woven from flowers: the first one the Snow Maiden meets will become her lover for life.

Death of the Snow Maiden

Mizgir becomes the Snow Maiden's lover. The rich merchant cannot hide his happiness and does not worry about the destructive rays of the Sun, which can take his beloved away from him. Mizgir brings the girl to Yarilina Mountain, where all the villagers and the king are preparing to marry the beautiful couple.

The first rays of the sun prevent the Snow Maiden from becoming Mizgir’s wife. So, her father’s prediction comes true - the Snow Maiden melts in the sun from human love.

The old man and the old woman were sad that they did not have children and decided to mold themselves a girl, the Snow Maiden. The Stricks could not be happy with their daughter, they protected her in every possible way. But one day the Snow Maiden went for a walk with her friends, jumped over the fire, and melted.

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Fairy tale Snow Maiden read

Every thing happens in the world, everything is said about in a fairy tale. Once upon a time there lived a grandfather and a woman. They had plenty of everything - a cow, a sheep, and a cat on the stove, but there were no children. They were very sad, they kept grieving. One time in winter there was knee-deep white snow. The neighborhood kids poured out into the street, sledding, throwing snowballs, and started making a snow woman. The grandfather looked at them from the window, looked and said to the woman:

Why, wife, you’re sitting thoughtfully, looking at other people’s guys, let’s go and have some fun in our old age, we’ll make a snow woman too.

And the old woman probably also had a happy hour. - Well, let's go outside, grandfather. But why should we sculpt a woman? Let's sculpt a daughter, Snow Maiden.

No sooner said than done.

The old people went to the garden and let's sculpt a snow daughter. They sculpted a daughter, inserted two blue beads instead of eyes, made two dimples on her cheeks, and made a mouth out of a scarlet ribbon. How cute is the snowy daughter Snegurochka! Grandfather and woman look at her - they can’t stop looking at her; they admire her - they can’t stop looking at her. And the Snow Maiden’s mouth smiles, her hair curls.

The Snow Maiden moved her legs and arms, moved from her place and walked through the garden to the hut.

The grandfather and woman seemed to have lost their minds - they were rooted to the spot.

Grandfather, - the woman screams, - yes, this is our living daughter, dear Snow Maiden! And she rushed into the hut... That was such joy!

The Snow Maiden is growing by leaps and bounds. Every day the Snow Maiden becomes more and more beautiful. Grandfather and woman will not look at her enough, they will not breathe enough. And the Snow Maiden is like a white snowflake, with eyes like blue beads, and a brown braid down to her waist. Only the Snow Maiden has no blush and not a speck of blood on her lips. And the Snow Maiden is so good!

Spring has come, it’s clear, the buds have swelled, the bees have flown into the field, the lark has begun to sing. All the guys are happy and happy, the girls are singing spring songs. But the Snow Maiden got bored, became sad, kept looking out the window, shedding tears.

So the red summer has come, the flowers have bloomed in the gardens, the grain is ripening in the fields...

The Snow Maiden frowns even more than ever, hides everything from the sun, would like to be in the shade and in the cold, and even better in the rain.

Grandfather and grandmother all gasp:

Are you well, daughter? - I'm healthy, grandma.

But she keeps hiding in a corner, she doesn’t want to go outside. Just once the girls gathered in the forest for berries - raspberries, blueberries, scarlet strawberries.

They began to invite the Snow Maiden with them:

Let's go, let's go, Snow Maiden!.. - Let's go, let's go, friend!.. The Snow Maiden doesn't want to go into the forest, the Snow Maiden doesn't want to go into the sun. And then the grandfather and grandmother say:

Go, go, Snow Maiden, go, go, baby, have fun with your friends.

The Snow Maiden took the box and went into the forest with her friends. Girlfriends walk through the forest, weave wreaths, dance in circles, and sing songs. And the Snow Maiden found a cold stream, sits next to it, looks into the water, wets her fingers in the fast water, plays with the drops, like pearls.

So evening has come. The girls played around, put wreaths on their heads, lit a fire from brushwood, and began jumping over the fire. The Snow Maiden doesn’t want to jump... Yes, her friends pestered her. The Snow Maiden approached the fire... She stood trembling, there was not a single blood in her face, her brown braid was falling apart... The girlfriends shouted:

Jump, jump, Snow Maiden!

The Snow Maiden ran and jumped...

It rustled over the fire, moaned pitifully, and the Snow Maiden was gone.

White steam stretched over the fire, curled into a cloud, and the cloud flew into the heights of heaven.

The Snow Maiden has melted...

A.N. Ostrovsky, the leading playwright of the Maly Theatre, wrote almost all of his plays in prose (sometimes with a little interspersed poetry). “The Snow Maiden” is an unusual play because it is written entirely in verse. Public I didn’t appreciate it at first a fairy tale play, because the audience is accustomed to Ostrovsky’s serious prose. But the play was destined to have a long, happy history. We bring summary fairy tales “Snow Maiden”.

The play has four acts and a prologue. The scene changes:

• Red hill
• settlement Berendeyevka
• royal castle
• reserved forest
• Yarila Valley

Characters

Main characters:

• Lel, young shepherd
• Mizgir, young merchant
• Tsar Berendey

The main female characters are Kupava and Snegurochka. Also in the fairy tale-play there is a “behind the scenes” character - Yarilo, he is constantly mentioned. At the end of the play he will appear in the guise of a young guy.

Characteristics of the influence of Frost on the kingdom of Berendey is unambiguous: where there is cold and frost, bad feelings like envy, indifference, cruelty, and deceit are born.

Prologue

Midnight, Red Hill. Spring is beginning, but there is snow everywhere. Spring-Red appears along with the bird retinue. It would seem, why should the country of the Berendeys greet spring so coldly? It turns out there is a reason, and a very good one: Vesna-Krasna tried it play in love with Santa Claus, but everything turned into a difficult marriage. It seems that we need to leave the stern grandfather, but it’s just difficult to decide on this: Spring and Frost are the parents of the girl Snow Maiden.

Soon Frost himself appears. A conversation ensues between him and Vesna. We learn about the enmity of the lord of winter with the sun god Yaril. God longs to destroy his sworn enemy, and knows about his weakness - the Snow Maiden. It is not surprising that Moroz is seriously worried and strictly instructs his wife to make sure that her daughter does not find out about love.

At the end of the prologue, the Berendeys appear, saying goodbye to the winter and burning the effigy of Maslenitsa.

First action

Bobyl Bakula and his wife became the adoptive parents of the Snow Maiden. A conversation began between them. It turned out that the male and female were hoping for happy life: the guy might like the girl, you see, and it would be a good wedding.

But, unfortunately, everything turned out differently. The beauty with an icy heart turned the heads of many guys, they forgot about the brides, and dogged each other like classic jealous people. Gradually, the intrigue of the play begins to emerge: because of the Snow Maiden, the guys cannot make peace with the girls. The young shepherd Lel sang a song to a girl with an icy heart, and then simply threw it away wilted flower– a modest gift. The Snow Maiden felt only indignation, resentment, but not the pangs of love.

Only Kupava remained friendly with Moroz’s daughter. It would seem that the Snow Maiden will see the wedding of Kupava and young merchant Mizgirya. But a new drama begins: the merchant loses his head from a girl with an icy heart. Kupava wants to drown himself in the river, but Lel rushes to the rescue.

Second act

We are transported to the castle of Tsar Berendey. The ruler is busy with business - paints with intricate patterns one of the pillars. Two buffoons (simply put, jesters) are arguing about what kind of drawing this is - an image of a cow's or a dog's leg. The dispute becomes more and more serious, and almost turns into a fist fight. The king drives both buffoons away.

Later, an adviser comes to the ruler. During the conversation, the tsar notes that things in the state are bad: spring and autumn have been cold for fifteen years, snow lies until mid-summer. According to Berendey, Yarilo is very angry with people - because in their souls coldness, indifference, and other bad feelings. The only way to appease God is through prayers and sacrifices. The Tsar hopes to marry the brides and grooms just on Yarilin’s day, and not just anywhere, but in a reserved forest. A friendly marriage song should appease God.

The adviser says that the plan is unlikely to work - the brides and grooms quarreled, the reason is the appearance of the girl Snow Maiden. The king at first does not believe his ears, and then wants to see Frost’s daughter.

Kupava enters the royal castle and talks about his grief. Having learned that her heart was broken by her fiancé, the young merchant Mizgir, Berendey promises to punish the culprit.

Later, the culprit of Kupava’s grief, Snegurochka, appears. The king is surprised: how can such a beauty know absolutely nothing about love! Let someone be able to melt the ice in this girl’s heart.

Third act

The night begins on the eve of Yarilin's day. The fun begins, and the shepherd Lel became the lead singer. Gradually, the girls begin to make peace with the guys, everything goes well. Lel kisses Kupava in front of the Snow Maiden. How does the daughter of Frost feel? Jealousy? No, in the heart of a cold girl pride spoke.

Mizgir is blinded by love and wants to marry the Snow Maiden at all costs. But Frost’s daughter refuses. A little later the goblin intervenes. And the young merchant begins to be attracted by the mirage of a cold girl. And Mizgir will run after this mirage all night.

After a conversation with Lel and Kupava, Snegurochka finally realized that life without love is empty.

Fourth act

The Snow Maiden calls her mother - Vesna Krasna. The Spring Sorceress listens to her daughter's complaints and asks what she wants. Frost's daughter is tired of the cold life and wants love. The mother reminds her daughter of her father’s worries: love is deadly for a cold heart.

Snow Maiden ready to pay with my life for “one moment of love.” And he receives the gift of love from his mother.

The girl looks at the world in a new way. Having met Mizgir, the Snow Maiden admits that she loves him. And soon what needs to happen happens: falling under the ray of the Sun, the daughter of Frost melts. Mizgir, in despair over the loss of his beloved, drowns himself in the lake.

Tsar Berendey and the shepherd Lel call the god Yarilo. And God responded to the call: Yarilo stopped being angry, because his sworn enemy, Frost, was defeated.

Conclusion

The image of the Snow Maiden came from Russian folklore. In folk tales there are descriptions of a girl created from snow and melted in the spring. This is a poetic image of the changing seasons. Ostrovsky was inspired by folk art, and a string of works was created based on his play:

• Opera by Rimsky-Korsakov;
• Painting by V.M. Vasnetsov;
• Children's films and cartoons;

The Snow Maiden, together with Santa Claus, became a decoration New Year's holidays in Russia.

Russian folk tale"Snow Maiden"

Genre: folk fairy tale

The main characters of the fairy tale "Snow Maiden" and their characteristics

1. Ivan and Marya, childless old men, peasants. Kind and God-fearing.
2. Snow Maiden. A girl made of snow, beautiful, pale, sad in summer, cheerful in winter. Affectionate and friendly, sociable.

1. Ivan and Marya
2. Snowmen
3. Snow doll
4. Eyes
5. The Revived Snow Girl
6. Snow Maiden is a beauty
7. Spring
8. Sad Snow Maiden
9. With the girls in the forest
10. Jumping over the fire
11. Disappearance of the Snow Maiden
12. Search
13. light cloud

1. Ivan and Marya lived in the village, and they had no children.
2. They made a snowman in winter and the snow doll came to life
3. Ivan and Marya named the girl Snegurochka.
4. Spring came, and then summer, and the Snow Maiden was sad from the heat.
5. The girls invited her to jump over the fire into the forest
6. The Snow Maiden melted and flew away in a light cloud.

What does the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden" teach?
The fairy tale teaches to love nature, to know the characteristics of each season, teaches folk traditions and holidays. Teaches you to be obedient, to love your parents, and not to upset them. Teaches you to be kind, to be friends, to be cheerful.

Review of the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden"
I like this simple and at the same time interesting fairy tale. Its main character, the Snow Maiden, was made of snow and therefore was very afraid of the sun. She felt bad in the summer. It is a pity that the Snow Maiden began to jump over the fire and the heat of the flame melted her. So parents lost their beloved child due to simple carelessness.

Proverbs for the fairy tale "Snow Maiden"
God gave, God took away.
Which have not be avoided.
Without children it is sad, with children it is troublesome.
Those who have many children are not forgotten by God.
Children are joy, children are sorrow.

Read summary, brief retelling fairy tales "Snow Maiden"
Once upon a time there lived a peasant Ivan and his wife Marya. They had everything on the farm, only there were no children. And then one winter, Ivan watched the neighbor kids making a snowman, and suggested that Marya should also go and build a snowman, to take her mind off sad thoughts.
They went outside and made a snowman. They sculpted the head, sculpted the nose, made dimples on the forehead. As soon as Ivan began to sculpt his mouth, he suddenly felt like a breath of warmth came over him. He looks, and the holes have already become his eyes. The snow doll tilts its head.
Ivan was scared, he thought it was some kind of obsession. And Marya immediately understood that it was the Lord who was giving them a child. The Snow Maiden shook off the snow and now a living girl was standing in front of them.
And Ivan and Marya began to live happily. The girl Snegurochka grew up quickly and became a beauty, but she didn’t have any blush at all.
And then winter flew by, followed by spring. The Snow Maiden is sad on sunny days, she hides in the shadows and bathes in the cold water of the spring. And when the hail began, the Snow Maiden was completely overjoyed. But the hailstones melted quickly.
And so, on the eve of Midsummer's Day, the neighbor's girl called Snegurochka to go for a walk in the forest. And Ivan and Marya released their daughter, and told the girls to keep an eye on the Snow Maiden. Don't leave alone.
And the girls watched the Snow Maiden and had fun. And then the Snow Maiden began jumping over the fire with them. The girls jumped over the fire and looked - the Snow Maiden had disappeared. The girls searched for her for a long time, but they did not find her.
Ivan and Marya cried bitterly. Marya kept going into the forest, looking for the Snow Maiden. But it’s just not there anywhere. When she jumped over the fire, she melted and flew into the sky with a light vapor.

Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale "Snow Maiden"

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky

"Snow Maiden"

The action takes place in the country of the Berendeys in mythical times. The end of winter comes - the goblin hides in a hollow. Spring flies to Krasnaya Gorka near Berendeyev Posad, the capital of Tsar Berendey, and with it the birds return: cranes, swans - Spring's retinue. The land of the Berendeys greets Spring with cold, and all because of Spring’s flirtations with Frost, the old grandfather, Spring herself admits. Their daughter was born - Snegurochka. Spring is afraid to quarrel with Frost for the sake of her daughter and is forced to endure everything. The “jealous” Sun itself is angry. That’s why Spring calls all the birds to warm themselves up by dancing, just as people themselves do in the cold. But just when the fun begins - the choirs of birds and their dances - a blizzard arises. Spring hides birds in the bushes until the new morning and promises to warm them up. Meanwhile, Frost comes out of the forest and reminds Vesna that they have a common child. Each of the parents takes care of the Snow Maiden in their own way. Frost wants to hide her in the forest so that she can live among obedient animals in a forest chamber. Spring wants a different future for her daughter: for her to live among people, among cheerful friends and boys playing and dancing until midnight. The peaceful meeting turns into an argument. Frost knows that the sun god of the Berendeys, the hot-tempered Yarilo, has vowed to destroy the Snow Maiden. As soon as the fire of love is lit in her heart, it will melt it. Spring doesn't believe it. After a quarrel, Moroz offers to give their daughter to be raised by the childless Bobyl in the settlement, where the boys are unlikely to pay attention to their Snow Maiden. Spring agrees.

Frost calls Snow Maiden from the forest and asks if she wants to live with people. The Snow Maiden admits that she has long been yearning for girlish songs and round dances, that she likes the songs of the young shepherd Lelya. This especially frightens the father, and he tells the Snow Maiden, more than anything else, to beware of Lel, in whom the “scorching rays” of the Sun live. Separating from his daughter, Moroz entrusts the care of her to his forest “leshutki”. And finally gives way to Spring. Folk festivities begin - seeing off Maslenitsa. Berendeys greet the arrival of Spring with songs.

Bobyl went into the forest for firewood and saw the Snow Maiden dressed like a hawthorn. She wanted to stay and live with Bobylya and her adopted daughter.

Life is not easy for the Snow Maiden with Bobyl and Bobylikha: the named parents are angry that she, with her excessive bashfulness and modesty, has scared off all the suitors and they are not able to get rich with the help of their adopted daughter’s profitable marriage.

Lel comes to stay with the Bobylys because they alone are ready to let him into the house for money collected by other families. The rest are afraid that their wives and daughters will not resist Lel's charm. The Snow Maiden does not understand Lel’s requests for a kiss for a song, for a gift of a flower. She plucks a flower with surprise and gives it to Lelya, but he, having sung a song and seen other girls calling him, throws away the already withered flower of the Snow Maiden and runs away to new fun. Many girls quarrel with guys who are inattentive to them because of their passion for the beauty of the Snow Maiden. Only Kupava, the daughter of the rich Sloboda resident Murash, is affectionate towards the Snow Maiden. She tells her about her happiness: a rich trading guest from the royal settlement of Mizgir has wooed her. Then Mizgir himself appears with two bags of gifts - bride price for girls and boys. Kupava, together with Mizgir, approaches the Snow Maiden, who is spinning in front of the house, and calls her for the last time to lead the girls’ round dances. But when he saw the Snow Maiden, Mizgir fell passionately in love with her and rejected Kupava. He orders his treasury to be carried to Bobyl's house. The Snow Maiden resists these changes, not wishing harm to Kupava, but the bribed Bobyl and Bobylikha force the Snow Maiden to even drive Lel away, which Mizgir demands. The shocked Kupava asks Mizgir about the reasons for his betrayal and hears in response that the Snow Maiden won his heart with her modesty and bashfulness, and Kupava’s courage now seems to him a harbinger of future betrayal. The offended Kupava asks for protection from the Berendeys and sends curses to Mizgir. She wants to drown herself, but Lel stops her, and she falls unconscious into his arms.

In the chambers of Tsar Berendey, a conversation takes place between him and his close associate Bermyata about the troubles in the kingdom: for fifteen years now Yarilo has been unkind to the Berendeys, the winters are getting colder, the springs are getting colder, and in some places there is snow in the summer. Berendey is sure that Yarilo is angry with the Berendeys for cooling their hearts, for “cold feelings.” To quench the Sun’s anger, Berendey decides to appease him with a sacrifice: on Yarilin’s day, the next day, to tie together as many brides and grooms as possible in marriage. However, Bermyata reports that because of some Snow Maiden who showed up in the settlement, all the girls quarreled with the guys and it is impossible to find brides and grooms for marriage. Then Kupava, abandoned by Mizgir, runs in and cries out all her grief to the king. The king orders to find Mizgir and convene the Berendeys for trial. Mizgir is brought in, and Berendey asks Bermyata how to punish him for cheating on his bride. Bermyata offers to force Mizgir to marry Kupava. But Mizgir boldly objects that his bride is the Snow Maiden. Kupava also does not want to marry a traitor. The Berendeys do not have the death penalty, and Mizgir is sentenced to exile. Mizgir only asks the king to look at the Snow Maiden himself. Seeing the Snow Maiden who came with Bobyl and Bobylikha, the Tsar was amazed by her beauty and tenderness and wants to find a worthy husband for her: such a “sacrifice” will certainly appease Yarila. The Snow Maiden admits that her heart does not know love. The king turns to his wife for advice. Elena the Beautiful says that the only one who can melt the Snow Maiden’s heart is Lel. Lel invites the Snow Maiden to make wreaths before the morning sun and promises that by morning love will awaken in her heart. But Mizgir also does not want to give up the Snow Maiden to her opponent and asks permission to enter into the fight for the Snow Maiden’s heart. Berendey allows and is confident that at dawn the Berendeys will joyfully meet the Sun, which will accept their atoning “sacrifice.” The people glorify the wisdom of their king Berendey.

At dawn, girls and boys begin to dance in circles, in the center are the Snow Maiden and Lel, while Mizgir appears and disappears in the forest. Admired by Lelya’s singing, the king invites him to choose a girl who will reward him with a kiss. The Snow Maiden wants Lel to choose her, but Lel chooses Kupava. Other girls make peace with their loved ones, forgiving them of their past infidelities. Lel is looking for Kupava, who has gone home with her father, and meets a crying Snow Maiden, but he does not feel sorry for her for these “jealous tears” caused not by love, but by envy of Kupava. He tells her about secret lovemaking, which is more valuable than a public kiss, and only for true love is he ready to take her to meet the Sun in the morning. Lel reminds how he cried when Snegurochka did not respond to his love before, and goes to the guys, leaving Snegurochka to wait. And yet, in the heart of the Snow Maiden, there is not love yet, but only pride that Lel will lead her to meet Yarila.

But then Mizgir finds the Snow Maiden, he pours out his soul to her, full of burning, real male passion. He, who has never begged a girl for love, falls to his knees in front of her. But the Snow Maiden is afraid of his passion, and his threats to take revenge for his humiliation are also terrible. She also rejects the priceless pearls with which Mizgir is trying to buy her love, and says that she will exchange her love for Lel’s love. Then Mizgir wants to get the Snow Maiden by force. She calls Lelya, but the “leshutki”, whom Father Frost instructed to take care of his daughter, come to her aid. They take Mizgir into the forest, luring him with the ghost of the Snow Maiden, and he wanders in the forest all night, hoping to overtake the ghost Snow Maiden.

Meanwhile, even the heart of the king’s wife was melted by Lel’s songs. But the shepherd deftly dodges both Elena the Beautiful, leaving her in the care of Bermyata, and the Snow Maiden, from whom he runs away when he sees Kupava. It was precisely this kind of reckless and ardent love that his heart was waiting for, and he advises the Snow Maiden to “eavesdrop” on Kupavi’s hot speeches in order to learn to love. The Snow Maiden, in her last hope, runs to her mother Vesna and asks her to teach her real feelings. On the last day when Spring can fulfill her daughter’s request, since the next day Yarilo and Summer take over, Spring, rising from the water of the lake, reminds the Snow Maiden of her father’s warning. But the Snow Maiden is ready to give her life in a moment true love. Her mother puts a magic wreath of flowers and herbs on her and promises that she will love the first young man she meets. The Snow Maiden meets Mizgir and responds to his passion. The immensely happy Mizgir does not believe in the danger and considers the Snow Maiden’s desire to hide from Yarila’s rays to be an empty fear. He solemnly brings the bride to Yarilina Mountain, where all the Berendeys have gathered. At the first rays of the sun, the Snow Maiden melts, blessing the love that brings her death. It seems to Mizgir that the Snow Maiden deceived him, that the gods mocked him, and in despair he throws himself from Yarilina Mountain into the lake. “The Snow Maiden’s sad death and the terrible death of Mizgir cannot disturb us,” says the Tsar, and all the Berendeys hope that Yarila’s anger will now fade away, that he will grant the Berendeys strength, harvest, life.

The end of the harsh and cold winter is approaching, which is being replaced by the long-awaited spring with its warm rays of the sun and the first thawed patches in the forest, where the goblin hides in a hollow. Spring comes to Krasnaya Gorka and the birds return. The country of the Berendeys greets Spring with cold, and all because of Spring’s flirtations with Frost. Their daughter was born - Snegurochka. Spring is afraid to quarrel with Frost and endures everything for the sake of her daughter.

Spring calls for all the birds to warm up by dancing, as people do in cold weather, but the blizzard rises with joy. Frost comes out of the forest and reminds Spring that the time has come to take care of the Snow Maiden. Frost wants to hide her in the forest so that she can live among obedient animals in a forest chamber. But Spring wants a different future for her daughter, so that she can live among people and cheerful friends who play and dance until midnight. The Sun God of the Berendeys, the hot-tempered Yarilo, wants to destroy the Snow Maiden. As soon as the fire of love is lit in her heart, it will melt it.

After a quarrel, Frost offers to give Snegurochka to be raised by the childless Bobyl in the settlement, where the boys are unlikely to pay attention to her. Spring agrees. The Snow Maiden admits that she has long been yearning for girlish songs and round dances; she really likes the songs of the young shepherd Lelya. This frightens the caring father very much, and he tells the Snow Maiden to beware of Lel, and entrusts the care of her to his forest lechettes. So spring has come into its own. Folk festivities began.

Once Bobyl went into the forest for firewood and saw the Snow Maiden dressed as a hawthorn. She agreed to stay and live in their house as an adopted daughter. The named parents are angry that she, with her bashfulness and modesty, has scared off all the suitors, and they are not able to get rich. Lel comes to the Bobylys. The Snow Maiden does not understand Lelya’s requests for a kiss for a song, and for a gift of a flower. Lel, having sung a song, saw other girls and ran to them. Girls quarrel with guys who are carried away by the beauty of the Snow Maiden.

Only Kupava, the daughter of the rich merchant Murash, is affectionate towards the Snow Maiden. She shares her good news with Snegurochka and says that a wealthy trade guest, Mizgir, has wooed her. Here Mizgir appears with two bags of gifts - bride price for girls and boys. Mizgir, seeing the Snow Maiden, passionately falls in love with her and orders her to carry the treasury to Bobyl’s house. The Snow Maiden does not wish harm to Kupava, she resists Mizgir’s change. Kupava, offended by grief, asks the Berendeys for protection. Kupava decided to drown herself, but Lel stopped her.

For fifteen years Yarilo has been unkind to the Berendeys. To quench the wrath of the sun, you need to appease it with a sacrifice. But the Bermyats report that because of the Snow Maiden, who appeared in the settlement, all the girls quarreled. Then the abandoned Kupava runs in and tells the king about her grief. Mizgir is sentenced to exile. Mizgir is desperately fighting for his rights. At dawn, girls and boys dance in circles. Lel is looking for Kupava and meets a crying Snow Maiden, but he does not feel sorry for her. The Snow Maiden rejects Mizgir's love, calling Lelya. The leshutki take Mizgir into the forest, beckoning him with the ghost of the Snow Maiden, where he wanders all night. The Snow Maiden asks the mother of spring for advice, to teach her to love. The mother places a magical wreath of flowers and herbs on the Snow Maiden's head and promises that she will love the young man she meets. Happy Mizgir leads the Snow Maiden to the mountain where the Berendeys have gathered. The Snow Maiden melts at the first rays of the sun, blessing the love that brought her death. Mizgir, who thinks that the Snow Maiden has deceived him, throws himself from the mountain into the lake in despair. Now all the Berendeys hope that Yarila’s anger will go away, because he gives strength, harvest and life.

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